The townland of Keelkyle comprised of 3 dwellings in 1911. All 3 are recorded as being private dwellings. They were all constructed of stone, brick or concrete walls. House 1 had slate, iron or tiles for roofing and houses 2 and 3 had thatch, wood or other perishable material. House 1 was a 1st class house with 5 rooms and 7 windows in the front. Houses 2 and 3 were 3rd class dwellings with 2 rooms and 2 windows. There were a total of 14 out buildings consisting of 2 stables, a coach house, 3 cow houses, 2 calf houses, 2 piggeries, a fowl house, a barn, a turf house and a shed. A total of 13 people lived there, 6 male and 7 female. Const. John Hickey was the enumerator.

House 1 was the home of the Leigh family. Head of the family was Edward Leonard Holmes (65) and his wife Blanche Isabel (34) who had been married for 4 years and had had 1 child. In the house with them at that time were their son Edward ?[i] Patrick (3), a visitor Emily Longbottom (52) and a servant Ellen Connolly (19). Ellen is recorded as speaking Irish and all, with the exception of Edward ? Patrick could read and write. Edward ? Patrick and Ellen were born in Co. Galway with the rest being born in England. Ellen was a Roman Catholic and the rest were Church of England. Edward Leonard Holmes is recorded as a retired farmer, Emily was an artist and Ellen was a general servant domestic. The house they shared was a 1st class, 5 roomed dwelling with a stable, coach house, cow house, calf house, piggery, fowl house, barn, turf house and a shed. Hector R. L. Graham was the landholder.

House 2 was the Joyce household and the head of the family was the widow Margret (sic) (80) who had given birth to 9 children with 8 surviving. 2 of those children lived with her Philip (38) and Maria (36). All 3 could speak both Irish and English but only Philip could read and write. All were born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic. Maria is recorded as a farmer’s daughter and Philip a farmer’s son. They lived in a 2 roomed, 3rd class dwelling with a cow house and piggery. Margret Joyce was the landholder.

The third house was home to the Walsh family. The head of the family was Peter (74) and his wife Honor (63) who had been married for 40 years and had had 10 children all surviving. 2 of those children lived with them and were John (22) and Stephen (17) and peter’s moth-in-law also lived there and she was Ellen Daly (90). All could speak both Irish and English but only John and Stephen could read and write. Peter was a farmer and John and Stephen were farmer’s sons. Their house was a 2 roomed, 3rd class dwelling with a stable, cow house and calf house. The landholder was Peter Walsh.

There were 4 houses in Keelkyle according to the 1901 census. All were classified as private dwellings and all had stone, brick or concrete walls. Houses 1 and 2 had slate, iron or tiles for roofing and houses 3 and4 had thatch, wood or other perishable material. Houses 1 and 2 were 1st class dwellings and houses 2 and 3 were 3rd class. House 1 had 5 rooms and 7 windows in the front, house 2 had 4 rooms and 7 windows, house 3 had 2 rooms and 2 windows and house 4 had 1 room and 2 windows. There were a total of 15 out buildings, those being 2 stables, 2 coach houses, 6 cow houses, a piggery, 2 fowl houses and 2 stores. There were a total of 29 people, 16 male and 13 female. The enumerator was Const. Edward Robison.

The head of the Graham family was Francis John (67). With him in the house that time were a cook Eliza Laird (32) and 3 servants, George Laird, John Mannion (32) and Thoms (sic) McDonnell (19). John and Thoms (sic) could speak both Irish and English and the others on English. They could all read and write with the exception of John Mannion. John and Thoms (sic) were born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic. Francis John and George were born in Co. Fermanagh and Eliza was born in Co. Tyrone, these thre were members of the Presbyterian Church. Francis John’s occupation is recorded as Lanstord D.L. (sic) Eliza was a cook domestic st (sic), George was a gardener, John a gamekeeper and Thoms a farm labourer. The house they lived in was a 5 roomed, 1st class dwelling with a stable, coach house, 2 cow houses, a fowl house and a store. The landholder was Francis J. Graham.

The head of the McDonnell family was the widow Mary (74). In the house with her at that time were her children Joseph (42), Josephine (40) and Barry (38), her daughter-in-law Mary (32), her grandchildren Charles Edward (6), Josephine Mary (2) and Joseph (8mths). Also in the house were 3 servants Michael Conneely (35), Mary Maninan (sic)[ii] and Hanoria Lydon (sic). Mary, Charles Edward, Josephine Mary and Honoria could speak only English. All the rest, with the exception 8 month old Joseph, could speak both Irish and English. Josephine Mary, Joseph and Mary could not read but all the rest were able to read and write. Joseph (42) is listed as being a staff surgeon R.N., Barry was a farmer J.P., Charles Edward was a scholar, Michael was a farm servant, Mary (36) was a domestic servant cook and Honoria was a domestic servant. All were Roman Catholic, Mary (32) was born in England, Charles Edward was born in Lamarkshire (sic)[iii], Josephine Mary was born in Hampshire and the rest were born in Co. Galway. The house they shared was a 4 roomed, 1st class dwelling with a stable, coach house, cow house, fowl house and a store. The landholder was Mary McDonnell.

The head of the Walsh family was Peter (60) and his wife Honor (50). Living with them at that time were their children Thomas (23), Annie (15), Ellen (14), John (12), Peter (8) and Steph (6) along with Peter’s mother-in-law Ellen McLoughlin (80). All except Peter (8) and Stephen could speak both Irish and English and all except Peter(60) and Ellen McLoughlin could read and write. All were born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic. Peter (60) was a farmer, Thomas was a farmer’s son, Annie and Ellen (14) were farmer’s daughters and John Peter (8) and Stephen were scholars. The house they shared was a 2 roomed, 2nd class dwelling with 2 cow houses and a piggery. The landholder was Peter Walsh.

The Joyce family consisted of 4 members with the head of the fanliy being Patrick (80) with his wife Margret (sic) (70). Living with them were their children Philip (30) and Maria (24). All were born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic. All 4 could speak both Irish and English and Philip and Maria could read and write. Patrick is recorded as a farmer, Margret as a farmer’s wife, Philip as a farmer’s son and Maria as a farmer’s daughter. They shared a 1 roomed, 3rd class house with cow house. Patrick Joyce was the landholder.

Robert Graham owned most of the land in this area according to Griffith’s Valuation (1847-1864) and he leased tenements to a number of people. William Yates leased an area of land of 1 Acre and 24 Perches from Robert Graham at an annual rate of 8s. William then leased a house and office to Michael King for £1 annually. Francis J Graham owned 2 lots of land in this area. The first being an area 31 Acres on which he had a house and offices and paid £10 10s for the land and 10s for the buildings. In addition to that he also had 816 Acres, 2 Roods and 10 Perches of mountain and bog land for which he paid an annual rate of £6 10s. Patrick Heaney and John Manning jointly leased 10 Acres 2 Roods and 38 Perches of land from Robert Graham. Patrick Heaney had a house and John Manning had a house and offices on that land. Patrick paid 15s for his share of the land and 5s for the house, John paid £1 8s for his part of the land and 7s for the buildings. James Ellis leased 2 Acres of land from Robert Graham for 15s. Patrick Kilkoyne leased 12 Acres, 3 Roods and 10 Perches of land on which there were a house and office. For this he paid £2 15s for the land and 15s for the buildings. Patrick Heaney, John Manning, Patrick Kilcoyne, John Mealy, John Lyden and Thaddeus Walsh jointly leased 7 Acres an 3 Roods of land from Robert Graham at a rate of 1s each annually. John Lydon and Bartholomew Conroy leaded 11 Acres and 13 Perches of land that had houses on and paid £1 10s for the land and 5s for the buildings each. Thaddeus Walsh leased 12 Acres and 10 Perches of land and buildings from Robert Graham for £2 for the land and 10s for the buildings. John Mealy leased 12 Acres of land and a house from Robert Graham for which he paid £3 10s for the land and 10s for the house. James Lydon and Martin Coyne leased 31 Acres, 2 Roods and 11 Perches of land and buildings from Robert Graham for which James Lydon paid £2 7s for the land and 8s for the house and Martin Coyne paid £1 3s for the land and 7s for the house. Robert Graham had an area of land of 5 Acres, 1 Rood and 20 Perches of land which he paid an annual ratable valuation of 12s. Thomas Heaney leased 21 Acres, 3 Roods and 13 Perches of land from Robert Graham that included a house for which he paid £3 10s for the land and 5s for the house. Lastly, Patrick Coyne leased 30 Acres, 3 Roods and 25 Perches of land and buildings from Robaert Graham for £4 for the land and 10s for the buildings.

The name for this area in the 1670 Down Survey was Cossekillarie. The 1641 owner was the Catholic Edmund O’Flaharty. In 1670 the owner was Sir Thomas Meredith, a Protestant. There were 2077 plantation acres of unprofitable land, 292 plantation acres of profitable land and 293 plantation acres were forfeited.

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